NHL digital platforms to relaunch this weekend

Last summer, Major League Baseball Advanced Media and the National Hockey League announced a deal that allowed MLB’s Advanced Media arm to take over the NHL’s digital properties including NHL.com, the NHL app and NHL GameCenter. While we’ve seen the changes at NHL Network, we have yet to see relaunches of the other properties. Well, that will change just in time for the NHL All-Star Game this weekend.

Visitors to NHL.com, users of the NHL mobile and tablet apps and NHL GameCenter subscribers will notice wholesale changes as of this weekend. NHL.com gets a new redesign. The NHL apps will see a whole new look and GameCenter will be rebranded into NHL.tv. Part of the new look will be faster video which will play at 60 frames per second and the NHL will be one of the first MLBAM’s clients to go that fast. And this makes streaming games as close to television in real-time.

In a statement, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman sounds quite elated to be on the cutting edge:

“That [MLBAM] felt the push to go to 60 (frames per second) from 30 on us is great,” Commissioner Bettman said. “It tells you what they’re all about and how they treat this relationship.”

And MLBAM president and CEO Bob Bowman added his thoughts:

“It’s more investment, but it’s the kind of quality you’d expect if you were going to throw it up on the big screen and compare it to HD,” MLBAM president and CEO Bob Bowman said.

So the NHL digital sites which had been in of a redesign will finally get them this weekend. In addition to the faster video, a new app called NHL Premium which will allow users to watch the last five minutes of games along with overtime and shootouts will launch Tuesday, February 2 for $2.99/month.

Those surveyed by Deloitte averaged three streaming service subscriptions, but many weren't thrilled with the numbers of services they had to subscribe to get what they want. That's worth noting for sports, considering the fragmentation in the sports streaming landscape.

Those surveyed by Deloitte averaged three streaming service subscriptions, but many weren't thrilled with the numbers of services they had to subscribe to get what they want. That's worth noting for sports, considering the fragmentation in the sports streaming landscape.